Alameda High’s Max Nyrop pitches in team’s first game of 2019 season and sees consecutive scoreless innings streak end at 57 1/3 innings. Hornets later defeated Tokay of Lodi 7-5 in a Tracy tourney contest.
After pitching around errors in both the first and second innings, Alameda senior pitcher Max Nyrop couldn’t do it in the third so his consecutive scoreless innings streak was halted at 57 1/3 innings in a game against Tokay of Lodi on Saturday morning that was part of the annual Tracy tourney.
Nyrop had two playoff shutouts last season in Alameda’s march to the CIF North Coast Section 2A championship. That put his streak at 55 innings coming into 2019, but it wasn’t known until two days earlier that head coach Ken Arnerich was planning to start him on Saturday against the Tigers in the first game of the Hornets’ season.
Alameda was the visiting team in the game and started off with a four-run rally in the top the first inning. Nyrop himself plated the first two runs on a single with runners at second and third.
Tokay had runners on base in both the first and second innings due to errors, but no hits. In the bottom of the third, after one out, Ryan Lew rapped a sharp single to right field. Nyrop attempted to pick him off, but threw the ball in the dirt that squirted away from first base and allowed Lew to get all the way to third. After a bunt that didn’t score the runner from third but no out was recorded and then a walk, the bases were loaded with one out. The next batter, Colby Baker, hit a grounder to second base. No attempt was made to get the runner at home, but the throw was errant (Alameda’s fourth error of the game) and that allowed two runs to score for Nyrop’s streak to be snapped.
The Tigers later scored two more times in the third inning to tie the score and led 5-4 after another run in the top of the fifth. Alameda, however, came back to win the contest 7-5.
“He had a great run, whether he got (the record) or not it was just phenomenal,” Arnerich said. “I played the infield in with that runner on third because of the record, but otherwise we played it straight. To have a streak like that you’ve got to be good, you’ve got to play defense and you’ve got to be lucky.”
Nyrop’s total of 57 1/3 scoreless innings in a row will go into the Cal-Hi Sports state records at No. 3 on the all-time list. The record of 59 1/3 was set last season by junior Dawson Netz from Maranatha of Pasadena. Netz, whose streak was snapped in a CIF Southern Section D3 playoff game, was given the record when it was determined that the total of 59 innings by Jerry Jordan of Avenal in 1970 was established in his senior year and was at the end of the season (meaning it was over due to his graduation). That’s the same situation for the 57-inning streak set in 2011 by Steven Perry of Maxwell. In fact, Perry didn’t give up a run at all that entire season (according to articles by Northern Section historian Kevin Askeland). We would have listed Nyrop in a tie with Perry at 57 innings (Nyrop’s total reverting to the previous inning) but in this case we know for sure that the 1/3 inning is accurate and can stand.
Here is the updated all-time state list for this category:
Most Consecutive Scoreless Innings
59 1/3 – Dawson Netz, Pasadena Maranatha, 2018 (Jr.)
59 – Jerry Jordan, Avenal, 1970
57 1/3 – Max Nyrop, Alameda, 2018-19
57 – Steven Perry, Maxwell, 2010-2011
55 – Wayne Nix, Sepulveda Monroe, 1995
54 2/3 – Joe Magrisi, San Diego Torrey Pines, 2018
54 – Mike Welker, Chico Pleasant Valley, 1967
53 – Denny LeMaster, Oxnard, 1958
52 – Scott McGregor, El Segundo, 1972
52 – Jason Codiroli, San Jose Archbishop Mitty, 2005
44 – Wayne Qualls, Exeter, 1967
42 – David Wells, San Diego Point Loma, 1982
